SE-A-0202671-4 describes a centrifugal separator of the type mentioned at the outset, which centrifugal separator functions satisfactorily for cleaning gas media containing a relatively low or moderate degree, of liquid or particle impurities and while the flows of gas and liquid/particles downstream of the rotor go in the same axial direction toward their respective outlet apertures. When the contaminated gas is being cleaned, it flows into a central inlet shaft in the rotor which comprises a large number of inset plates which are stacked closely one upon the other, such as conical disks, or a multiplicity of curved axial plates, or some other form of sedimentation members having an equivalent function, after which the particles in the gas are caused to sediment on the sedimentation members in connection with the gas escaping radially from the rotor. The sediment particles then slide outward along the sedimentation members and are finally flung, by centrifugal forces, over onto the surrounding, stationary housing wall. With the aid of the component of the axial and tangential flow of the gas in the housing, the particles which have been collected on the housing wall stream, in this connection, in helical “rivulets” along the wall in the direction toward an annular screening element which projects inward essentially radially from the side wall of the housing and which separates the gas outlet from an outlet for the solid and/or liquid particles. The inwardly directed screening element creates, on its upstream side, an air cushion-forming vortex which forms a barrier for the rivulets and/or drops of liquid or solid particles which are streaming toward the outlet such that the latter are formed into a stationary ring upstream of the screening element. By means of placing one or more outlet holes or slits at the site of this ring-shaped accumulation of liquid or particles, it is possible, in an undisturbed manner, to draw off the liquid/particles from the housing of the centrifugal separator without there being any remixing with the cleaned gas.
However, when such a separator is used for separating a large content of liquid and/or particles from gases, problems can arise due to the fact that the liquid flow can penetrate through the air cushion vortex and reach the screening element either directly or as splashes from slits or apertures at the liquid outlet, with it being possible for some of the liquid to be entrained out toward the outlet for the cleaned gas stream and to be reincorporated into the latter.